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Fishing Bear: what the data says
1,030-acre lake near Freeborn County. The lake tops out around 6 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Yellow Perch fishing at Bear
Spring yellow perch on Bear hold shallow, usually 2 to 6 ft. Summer fish stay in 2 to 6 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 6 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. Plan around early morning in the warm months. Tie on a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 6 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 2 to 6 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Northern Pike fishing at Bear
Spring northern pike on Bear hold shallow, usually 2 to 6 ft. Summer fish stay in 2 to 6 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 6 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for northern pike in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 6 ft | midday & dawn | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 2 to 6 ft | dawn & dusk | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft | midday & dawn | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft | midday | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Crappie fishing at Bear
Start shallow in spring: crappie sit in 2 to 6 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 2 to 6 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 6 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 6 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 2 to 6 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Bluegill fishing at Bear
Start shallow in spring: bluegill sit in 1 to 6 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 2 to 6 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 6 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 2 to 6 ft | dawn & dusk | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Common Carp fishing at Bear
Start shallow in spring: common carp sit in 1 to 6 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 1 to 6 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 6 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring common carp. Best bite is early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dawn | |
| Summer | 1 to 6 ft | dawn & dusk | |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft | midday | |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft | midday |
Notable structure
- Main-lake point: point, around 6 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 6 ft
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 5 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 3 ft
Common questions
How deep is Bear?
Bear is about 6 ft at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
What fish are in Bear?
Anglers target northern pike, crappie, bluegill, yellow perch, common carp on Bear.
Where is the best fishing spot on Bear?
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Bear?
For yellow perch, the summer bite is best in early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Nearby waters
Pickeral · White · Morin · School Section · Fountain (West Bay) · Fountain (East Bay)
See how Bear stacks up: best northern pike lakes in Minnesota · best crappie lakes in Minnesota · best bluegill lakes in Minnesota · best yellow perch lakes in Minnesota
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